Research conducted by Mercury, the IT software and services company, and the Manchester Business School found that 13 percent of UK IT directors are working more than 60 hours a week, compared to just 3 percent in France and 2 percent in Germany.
One-third said they are working between 48 and 60 hours. This is more than is allowed under the European Union's Working Time Directive, but UK companies can opt out of this directive.
Even though Britain's IT leaders are the worst offenders in Europe for working long hours, UK productivity is still relatively poor. According to Mercury, this is due to the UK government's decision to allow firms to opt out from the Working Time Directive.
"Businesses in the UK are still concerned with employment issues that have been well publicised in the media, such as stress and sick leave, but many are still not aware of the real risks of low productivity that are costing businesses daily," said Elie Kanaan, Mercury's vice-president for strategy.
"Unlike France and Germany, the Working Time Directive in the UK has not been adopted as an opportunity for businesses to become more productive. Chief information officers can't devote time and energy to strategy and they are burning out under the pressure of a 60-hour week," Kanaan added.
One IT director contacted by ZDNet UK confirmed that long hours are often the norm.
"60 hours? Is that all? The lucky, lucky bastards," he said.
Research conducted by Company Barclaycard has shown that many IT professionals are being regularly dragged away from home as part of their marathon work requirements.
Its latest Travel in business survey found that the average person in the IT industry spends 2.8 days per week travelling on business. Three-quarters say their time with their partner has suffered because of business travel, with 49 percent saying that social time with friends has also been hit.
Talkback
Never mind the IT directors, what about the over worked, under paid and under appreciated support staff who take often mindless flak from users with bad attitudes and worse computer literacy?
If working a 60 hour week gets me £45k then I'd be a fool not to consider it.
Time management at a manager and senior level generally in the UK is terrible. If organisations worked on a time management culture, hours worked would be less and productivity would be more.
"UK productivity is still relatively poor."
If managers are working very long hours and staff are working very long hours and productivity is low, then....what the managers are doing in their long hours must be counterproductive.
Maybe if people weren't so terrifiied of losing their jobs, they could put some energy into doing their work well and not just showing "face time" and micromanaging to make themselves appear useful.
How ever did we get into this distorted mess?